Handfire weapons are okay, cool boxes are not

Before Super Bowl Lix

Handfire weapons are okay, cool boxes are not

Even before the Superbowl, there is a state of emergency in New Orleans – which is further tightened. Reason: the new US president.

Jens Bistritsch reports from New Orleans

Now Donald Trump has also announced his coming. The US President will move into the superdome on Sunday, and will be the first acting head of government to be followed by the Super Bowl, the final of the National Football League (NFL), live in the stadium. As if the traffic chaos, which will certainly arise around the stadium in New Orleans on Sunday, are not bad enough.

Trump’s visit again requires special measures. Because a corridor must be kept free for the arrival and departure of Trump’s convoy. “The security measures have been tightened again because an incumbent president comes for the first time,” confirmed Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi in advance-without responding to details.

Already throughout the week before the NFL final between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, the presence of the law enforcement officers cannot be overlooked. At every intersection of the Bourbon Street in the world -famous amusement district of French Quarter there is around half a dozen heavily armed security forces. Vehicles are stopped and searched.

Special rules were set up for the quarter. For example, bringing cooling boxes is not allowed. Curious and not understandable for many: handguns may be taken away if they are not worn visibly. The latter regulates a law of the state of Louisiana. Due to a local statutes, these may not be taken in bars and restaurants, for example.

But the order power also shows presence elsewhere in the city. After the terrorist attack in the morning hours of January 1, which 14 people fell victim to, the security concept had been tightened again. If you look around the city center, there is hardly a place where at least one police vehicle can be seen. Around 2,000 police officers and national guards are on duty. And in the stadium, over 100 dogs will sniff according to the explosives before the game before the spectators are let in.

The flying of drones over French Quarter has been prohibited for days. For the duration of the game, the flight ban zone for drones – at least officially – is expanded around the superdome on 30 nautical miles (around 55 kilometers).

The parking garage under the stadium remains unused for security reasons. Trucks that transport food or other objects have to pass huge X -ray machines that are otherwise used at borders or in ports. Only then can the drivers deliver their goods.

The spectators in the superdome also have to go through metal detectors. Your bags must be transparent. And firearms are not allowed as in the bars of Bourbon Street.

The sea of ​​flower at the beginning of the Bourbon Street has grown again in the past few days. Many people commemorate the victims of January 1. Now the city’s citizens hope that the headlines to the Super Bowl will all be of sporty nature. And the police are ready to ensure a peaceful and smooth football festival. No matter what kind of traffic chaos Donald Trump may cause.